


Milady Mills

by sammy55



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 03:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3675876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammy55/pseuds/sammy55
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Robin Hood calls Regina "Milady" and the one time he doesn't. A deeper look at their relationship during the missing year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Milady Mills

**Author's Note:**

> Transferring my work from fanfiction.net because I like it here a lot better - so don't worry, this isn't stolen!
> 
> Began as a 300 word drabble, turned into a character study of Regina. Dialogue borrowed from the show in the first scene.

Already shaken up by the unexpected heart to heart with Snow White, Regina was slow to react when the winged beast swooped for its first attack. She managed to shoot off a single fireball and was nearly dragged off of her feet for her troubles. She stood there next to Snow White, her heart beating rapidly and feeling sticky blood run down her back. It would be perfectly ironic if she were to die now, moments after her heart was returned to its chest.

"Get down!" The shout came from behind them and lacking any other suggestions, both women ducked down and watched in amazement as an arrow perfectly pierced the monster's eye.

As the monkey screeched its way over the tree tops, Regina struggled to control her breathing. The sudden onslaught of emotions from the replacement of her heart had been enough to unbalance her, but with the addition of adrenaline and fear, she was lucky that she hadn't been sent headlong into a panic attack.

The voice was much closer this time, and managed to make her jump. "Milady?" A hand was extended towards her, the voice belonging to a rugged looking woodsman with a quiver full of arrows on his back. Taking a closer look at the two women, he stepped forward in concern. "You're injured."

Hoping enough scorn made it into her voice to hide her unsteady hands, she responded "It's 'Your Majesty'. And I'm fine."

The man raised an eyebrow and continued to stare down at her, hand still extended. "A simple thank-you would suffice." He used a tone usually reserved for prompting children to remember their manners, and the Queen unintentionally responded in kind.

"We didn't ask for your help."

Snow cast a disbelieving look at the other women and smiled upwards, grabbing the proffered hand. "Well I'm grateful for the assistance."

When she was finally on her feet, the man shook her hand and finally offered his name. "Robin. Robin of Locksley. And," he turned and gestured at the men joining them in the clearing, "these are a few of my Merry Men."

Snow continued smiling and began brushing the dirt off of her clothing. "Snow White."

"At last we meet. You know there was a time when our faces graced wanted posters side-by-side." The pair of former fugitives exchanged smiles, remember past days of running through the woods with an army at their heels.

Snow White was about to answer when one of the men spoke up. "If you're really Snow White, then why are you with her?" He nodded towards Regina who was standing to the side and simply watching everyone with mistrustful eyes.

"Her?" Did she not even deserve the title of Evil Queen anymore? It was the last thing she had left in this world. She almost felt sad for its loss and blocked her confusing emotions with the sarcasm that was expected of her. "Show some respect… Or at least some restraint at the buffet."

Robin stepped in between the two, pinning the brunette women with a stare. "You'll have to excuse Little John. But before you cursed this land we spent many a day running from your black knights."

Regina tried to ignore the small pang of guilt in her stomach. Those feelings didn't belong here. "Well I'm sure you deserved it." Ignoring a reproachful look from Snow, she turned and looked back towards the tree line. "What the hell was that thing?"

Things quickly wrapped up after that and it was decided that Robin and his men would accompany them back to their group, although Regina protested this, claiming that they knew next to nothing about the man. But she was overruled and had to endure Snow's over interested face glancing from Regina to Robin. She could practically feel the matchmaker inside the younger women buzzing with naive excitement.

Regina had no intention of 'finding happiness' without Henry. She would survive for as long as she had to, but she planned to take matters into her own hands soon enough. And those plans didn't have room for a mysteriously self-assured and ruggedly handsome former fugitive.

Her tired mind and tattered heart would find peace soon enough.

\--

The Queen sat apart from everyone else, not especially in the festive mood. Despite the new threat of the Wicked Witch, the Charming's had decided to throw a party after the successful reclaiming of their castle. Regina had protested for days about her need to be there, but Snow refused to be swayed.

"It will be good for the kingdom to see you there. Even with the new threat of the Wicked Witch, with Rumplestiltskin gone, you are the most powerful magic user in the kingdom. They need to see that you are here to help." Snow waved away Regina's objections, throwing her parting words over her shoulder. "Besides as you've pointed out several times, you are technically queen. You need to be there." She left Regina behind, muttering about sleeping curses.

So now Regina was huddled in a corner away from prying eyes. Although she had never been enthusiastic about this party, seeing the hundreds of happily dancing couples made her heart grow cold. It was as if they hadn't just been sent back to the Enchanted Forest by way of a last ditch curse to save their lives.

She missed Henry. She just wanted her son back.

She didn't want to sit in a stuffy ballroom, forced to sit in one of her uncomfortable dresses for hours, moving food around her plate because she simply wasn't hungry. She had barely eaten and the sight of the fancy cuisine served had made her stomach roll.

So now she sat alone, forcing her face into a mask of contempt. It was her oldest persona, the one she consistently turned to when her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She could almost hear her mother's voice ringing in her ear - _"Royalty must always be in control. Emotion is the fastest way to lose power and respect."_

Well now she had little power or respect, but her own pride forced her to keep the depth of her sadness to herself. Only the small trembles in her hand belied her grief to the outside world.

"Milady?" Regina turned to see the thief they had picked up - Robin Hood - standing there, holding a small plate. He had refused to change out of his forest clothes, so his green cloak and leather tunic looked completely out of place in the castle. The picture was almost enough for Regina to crack a small smile at how stupid he looked.

Her voice conveyed none of this, cracking out like a whip and filled with scorn. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's 'Your Majesty'. What do you want?"

Had he been a lesser man, the former thief may have fainted at the glare being sent his way. But he had seen the Queen at a very low point, and he had been watching her tonight. He wasn't a stranger to loneliness or grief. So he simply stood up straighter and held out a plate. "I noticed you hadn't eaten yet. I'm not a fan of the food in this place either. So I thought you might enjoy something simpler. It's from our camp outside."

Regina shrugged and adopted a look of superiority. "I'm not hungry." She just wanted him to go away. The attraction she felt for him hadn't dissipated and she couldn't deal with that right now. Maybe never.

Robin Hood chuckled lowly at this. "I was unaware the Evil Queen was above such human emotions as hunger. Perhaps when you faint you'll admit a weakness." He set the plate down on the table in front of her, mock bowed and said "Milady" before walking across the hall and out of the door faster than Regina had a chance to respond.

Annoyance built up in her - how dare he ridicule her? The stupid man was still here after all of her attempts to make him leave, wanting him gone after seeing her so vulnerable. Now he was mocking her while she was stuck in her pain.

Enough of this. She stood and walked regally out of the room, aware of Snow's eyes following her. She left the plate of food where it was, a small thrill of vindictiveness going through her. She didn't need anyone trying to take care of her.

She had been doing just fine by herself for a long time.

\--

Regina kept her hands curled into fists as she stormed from the back gates of the castle into the woods, the scowl that seemed permanently etched on her face present and enough to prevent any of the guards from questioning her as she passed.

She continued her fast pace until she was deep into the woods, far enough away that no one at the castle would be able hear her.

Letting out a frustrated screech, she turned and punched the closet tree, boosting the force with magic and creating a large hole in the middle. As the tree began to fall onto her, she waved her other hand and sent the large trunk flying across the clearing and into another tree, the impact creating a satisfying boom that echoed around the clearing.

Regina hunched over and braced her hands against her knees, breathing deeply and trying to calm down. She was in a near constant state of anger these past weeks and with the return of her dark magic, the urge to lash out had finally become unbearable.

If she had to look at the massive amount of baby items, if she was asked one more time if this obscure color of pastel blue went with that _sunshine yellow_ , she wouldn't be held responsible if the baby blankets stacked in several corners were accidently incinerated.

Sometimes Snow's clueless nature reached new heights. She seemed to forget that Regina lost her own son just recently. Shoving various items that would eventually grace the nursery into Regina's face was either complete ignorance or a clever form of revenge.

If Regina were to be honest with herself - and if recent events were anything to go by, she wasn't - she also felt a small amount of offence on Emma's part, as clueless as the blonde savior currently was. While Snow's eternally optimistic attitude had served her well in the past, Regina wondered when the woman would crack under the pressure and take the time to grieve for her lost daughter, as Regina had been doing for her son during the past several months.

She felt her anger bubble up again and lifted her hand, purple electricity streaking from her and hitting another tree, exploding it and sending shards of bark flying across the clearing. Several more bolts followed until she was left standing in the middle of a field of bark.

Regina let out a low breath, finally feeling her heart rate start to slow. The magic in this realm was so much more potent and she hadn't used it for nearly 30 years. It took almost no effort to call it forth anymore and she had suffered endless disapproving looks from Snow and Charming whenever she used it without thinking. She had stopped using it for some time, but the buildup caused her moods to fluctuate and resulted in breaks downs like today. She was now convinced that hiding her magic was a worse idea of the two.

A branch cracking behind her had Regina spinning around, her signature fire ball lighting in her palm. When she saw who stood there, her anger started to build once more. This man had a horrible habit of intruding on her during personal moments of weakness.

Robin Hood stood a few feet within the tree line, a loaded crossbow pointing towards the ground. A smug looking half grin appeared on his face as he greeted the brunette. "Milady." Unaware - or unafraid - of her mounting anger, he smoothly swung his crossbow over his shoulder in resting position as he continued. "Looking lovely as always."

Knowing it made her appear petulant, but unable to stop, she once more snarled out what had become their standard greeting. "It's 'Your Majesty'. And just what are you doing here - are you stalking me?" Her eyes shone with a fierce and nearly manic light and her body practically vibrated as her desire for a fight broke through.

But Robin Hood simply shrugged and gestured towards his left with an open palm, keeping his voice light. "Our camp is less than a mile that way. I heard the commotion and came to investigate - there is a witch on the loose. Perhaps you forgot that fact in all of your simmering fury?"

Biting her lip to restrict an unattractive screech of rage, Regina shot one last glare towards the thief before disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke, reappearing in her room back at the castle. The maid screamed in fright but took one look at the fury etched across Regina's face and  very quickly walked out of the room without saying a word.

Walking slowly over to her bed, she sat primly on the edge, her hands shakily smoothing down her dress. A small part of her mind wanted her to flop down dramatically onto her silk sheets like a teenage girl, but once again her pride refused to let her act so undignified.

She wanted that man gone. His lack of respect, his constant presence, and the feelings he invoked in her were beginning to wear her down. He took notice of her when she was pushed into the shadows again and again, managed to annoy and intrigue her simultaneously.

She wondered if he was naturally this exasperatingly caring or if she was special.

\--

As the steady drum of hoof beats echoed around her, Regina felt herself truly relax for the first time in weeks. A solitary horse ride through the woods was just what she needed.

Things had calmed down, but life at the palace was still less than ideal. Snow wanted Regina to remain at the palace at all times, as she was their only line of defense against the Wicked Witch, who had yet to pay them a visit but sent her flying monkeys to bother the guards. But Snow was determined to save her baby this time, so - somewhat ironically - she turned to the woman who managed to take it away the first time.

It wasn't that Regina wasn't somewhat grateful for the trust in her intent. Snow was not quiet about her faith in Regina's change and the castle staff took notice. Distrustful eyes no longer followed her every move and just this morning her maid had greeted her with a bright smile, no longer afraid to look into her eyes.

It was nice.

But it was also very strange.

Regina spent her childhood isolated from other children by her overbearing mother, was ignored by most while she was married, and ruled through fear rather than love. Even Mayor Mills was feared by the town. The closest thing she had to a friend was Kathryn, who had never even approached her after the curse broke.

She wasn't used to being like and the small voice in the back of her mind warned her against getting used to it. That they were just being kind because she could help them, and the moment the need for her diminished she would be forced to return to her old life, one of utter loneliness. Her defenses were slowly crumbling, walls she had built shortly after Daniel had died falling, and she was terrified of being hurt again.

So lost in her thoughts, she failed to see the snake laying in the center of the path. As her horse walked near it, it suddenly moved, spooking the horse onto its hind legs.

Regina tried to grab onto the reins, but the shock of the event slowed her reaction time and soon her back hit the packed dirt. Her arms instinctively covered her head as her horse took off down the path, its hooves nearly hitting the brunette.

A few seconds passed and Regina was still laying on the ground, gasping for air as an ache spread through her upper body. It had been years since she was last thrown from the saddle and she cursed her over-confidence. She hadn't worn any head protection and she could feel the signs of a concussion beginning in her fuzzy feeling skull. Healing magic was never her strong point, but if she went back to the castle like this, there was a chance that Snow would never let her leave again. Teleporting wouldn't work when she could barely see straight, but she doubted she would be able to walk back without injuring herself further.

She spent a few minutes listing every curse word she could think of.

Hoof beats sounded further down the path, the sound coming closer. Regina struggled to get up or roll herself off of the path. Pain rocketed up her side, forcing her back to the ground and bringing a lump of panic to her throat. Unable to move, unable to teleport and she is so dizzy she's not sure if she could even shoot a fire ball with any amount of control right now.

Trampled by her own horse is not her first choice of execution method.

The noise was almost upon her and she conjured a fire ball, closed her eyes, hopes, and tossed it in the general direction of the noise in an effort to push the horse away from her.

A shout made her open her eyes once more and she looked up. Robin Hood is quickly patting at his smoldering cloak. Once he is finished with that, he grins down at her. "Milady. I've just come to help. No need for the fireworks."

Regina let her head fall back onto the ground, regretting it a moment later when a wave of nausea washes over her. Shame built up inside of her at the thought of the thief seeing her in such a situation, but she beat the negative feelings back and forced an embarrassed smile on her face.

The two of them had grown closer over the past couple of months. He kept an eye on her, making her smile or breaking her rage on a bad day. He never pushed her to go further than their tentative friendship, but more importantly he understood her need for secrecy. He kept her moments of weakness from Snow and Charming and endured the continual verbal abuse directed towards him whenever they were in front of others with good humor - She wanted it to appear as if they hated each other.

Regina had drawn a line between them and Robin Hood never pushed. It was the only reason she was willing to trust him during these meetings.

Still, their greeting had not changed. "It's 'Your Majesty'. Don't you ever get tired of stalking me?"

He smiled down at her as he got off of her horse. Kneeling beside her, he kept his voice quiet. "Well you seem to have the better end of the deal. You get to gaze at my handsome face, while I have to deal with the prickly Queen." He gently supported her head and back as she sat up. "You all right? How's your head?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to get back to my rooms at the palace and I will be able to heal myself."

"Well I'm not sure how you intend to return. If your eyes are any indication, you can't focus long enough to stand, let alone perform your fancy teleporting spell." As he spoke, he began to help her stand. Quickly catching her elbows when her knees buckled, he nodded to himself. "If I suggest something, will  you promise not to shoot me?"

At Regina's hesitant nod, he gently turned her towards the patiently waiting horse. "Let me ride with you back to the castle. I can help you go through the back entrances so no one will see us."

Regina wanted to protest, she truly did. But she was dizzy, felt sick to her stomach, and was just so tired. She didn't have any fight left in her. So she nodded and let her shoulders droop, excepting the help if it meant she could return home faster.

Soon they were situated, Robin Hood sitting behind Regina, gently supporting but not coddling. He remained silent, sensing some of her left over embarrassment at needing help. He left Regina with her thoughts.

Regina was already off balance from life back at the palace, but whenever the man at her back was thrown into the mix, she never knew what would happen next. None of her experiences at court - dealing with spies and backstabbing nobles - helped her figure out his true intentions.

She could admit to herself that she was attracted to him. That had happened soon after their first meeting. But she could also admit that she was in no position to be in any kind of relationship - which is why she maintained her antagonistic verbal sparring with Robin in front of everyone else, especially Snow. Snow didn't know when to stop, and if she believed that there was something going on between them, then Regina would never get another moments peace.

There were too many things she still had to deal with - she was still grieving for her son and the idea of being truly happy without him was still a foreign concept. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to be in a steady enough place mentally to accept any advances, if ever.

She wondered how long he would wait.

\--

Regina was in her room, standing at her balcony and breathing in the cool night air for what could possibly be the last time. She looked down at her single apple tree, the last thing she had of her childhood, and wondered if it would follow her across realms once more.

The irony of the situation was not lost on her. For desiring nothing more in the past 30 years than to destroy Snow White's happiness, the thought of what she was about to do left a hollow pit in her stomach. While the she and the Charming's would never see completely eye to eye, they had come to an understanding.

Snow and her had been slowly regaining their previous closeness, but Regina worried that the other woman would come to hate her for what she had to do and she didn't want to go back to square one. And Emma was truly David's daughter. The Queens relationship with the man was built upon the same type of verbal sparring, the prince completely unafraid to go toe to toe with the fiery brunette.

If she focused, she could just hear the voices in the next room, soft sobs being smothered as the couple said their final goodbyes. Snow had been putting on a brave face but now that the time had come, the tears had started and refused to stop. Regina tried to harden her heart - she couldn't afford to crumble under the weight of her emotions.

This needed to be done.

She had to believe that this was the only way to save them all.

A soft scratching sound behind her was her only warning before a low voice said "Milady." Robin Hood gazed at the brunette, her body silhouetted against the moonlight. He wasn't supposed to be here, not now. But before he left, he had seen the look on her face, the struggle she was trying to hide. He just needed to check on her.

Regina allowed herself a small smile before replying, "Are you incapable of learning? It's 'Your Majesty'. I thought you and your men were keeping watch."

Robin cleared his throat and stepped forward to join her at the railing. "They are and I intend to join them in a moment… How are you doing? I know you've grown close to the prince." His hand rested on the railing, close enough that their pinkies touched.

She nodded, keeping her head facing towards the night sky, avoiding the gentle concern evident in his eyes. "It's different this time. This isn't some quest for revenge. It's our only chance. I cast that curse to destroy Snow White's happy ending - now I've practically been ordered to sacrifice her True Love and I'm not sure I can go through with it." She stopped and swallows thickly, unable to keep her voice steady with the growing lump in her throat.

The thief by her side wanted nothing more than to cuddle the confused and stricken Queen into his side. But she had been clear about the line between them and with the amount of stress she was under, his advances would not be welcome. He had avoided her fireballs thus far and it seemed prudent to continue that pattern.

So he just nodded and pat her hand twice before pulling away again. "You'll do it because you have to. You won't enjoy it and I think Snow and her husband know that. I haven't been privy to your previous encounters, but even I can see that there is genuine friendship growing between the three of you. Snow is smart. You needn't worry that she will blame you."

Regina nodded once more, though her mind was focused on his presence rather than his words. He calmed her down, balanced her emotional state with his logic.

They aren't sure if the curse will have an effect on everyone, or just those affected by the first curse. She hoped that he will accompany them this time. She can't focus on it right now, but she doesn't want him to become the 'one that could have been' because of circumstances beyond her control. Once she figures out a way to get her son back, she can figure out the extent of her feelings towards Robin Hood.

But for now, she just offers him a smile and a quick "Thank you" before turning and walking towards the prepared chamber.

A hand on her arm stopped her, and she turned back to see Robin holding out his flask of rum towards her. "A little liquid courage?" His smile is wide and infectious, even as his eyes are filled with a desperate edge, trying to prolong this moment.

A broken chuckle managed to find its way out of Regina's tight throat. She reached forward to take the proffered drink, but a shape on Robin's wrist makes her mind go blank. His sleeve has been pushed up and a black lion tattoo was now showing.

"Milady? You alright?"

She snapped out of her stunned stupor and clumsily grabbed for the alcohol. She took a deep pull of the drink and handed it back before answering. "Fine. Just…thinking. Thank for the drink. Have a safe walk back to your camp." She turned away, this time walking much faster towards the hallway.

Once she was out of his sight, she leaned against the wall, covering her face with shaking hands. It was a small miracle that she hadn't seen the tattoo before now, but of course Fate had to screw her over.

She rubbed her face and shook herself out of this foolishness. She had a duty to perform and she couldn't afford any distractions. This changed nothing.

She wouldn't tell him. She couldn't - if he wasn't brought to Storybrooke then both of them would be left to wonder for the rest of their lives. Without this knowledge, Robin Hood could easily move on. Tinkerbelle's words rang in her mind.

This was the selfless thing to do. This time, it would only be her hurt by this. If he was truly her happy ending, then it was only fitting that he be lost to her once again.

She stood up, squaring her shoulders.

She had a prince to kill.

\--

The Wicked Witch was dead, and everyone just kind of stood around awkwardly. They had all assumed that her death would return their memories to them, but it had been several minutes and nothing had changed.

Regina and Robin Hood stood at the edge of the crowd, their hands brushing together. They had agreed to keep their growing relationship quiet until Regina had a chance to talk to Henry. But Robin was having trouble keeping his hands to himself after witnessing the fight between sisters.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, taking note of the grey color of her face and the way she gently swayed on her feet. She had waved away his earlier concerns, claiming that she would be fine in a few hours and pushing his hands away from her. So he simply stood by, senses alert for any sign of her weakening further.

They both silently worried about what was to come. With their past a blank state, they wondered if their new memories would be enough to override any potential antagonism left over from the missing year. Neither considered the possibility that they hadn't even met - their interactions seemed to familiar to be complete strangers.

Regina suddenly fell to the ground, clutching her head. Before Robin could move, a blue tinted wind tore through the town, forcing him to brace himself and close watering eyes.

Once the wind had fully dissipated, the sound of happy voices swelled throughout the town as memories returned to its inhabitants.

As vision returned to Robin, he saw Regina still on the ground, her hands trembling violently. Quickly kneeling down, he gently grabbed her hands with his own. "Regina, are you alright? What happened?"

The sudden pulse of magic had overwhelmed her, refilling her magical reserves much to quickly and inducing a headache. Regina slowly flexed her fingers, wincing as she released the access magic within her before turning towards Robin Hood, a coy smile on her face.

"What, no 'Milady'?"

He stared at her for a few moments before picking her up and gently spinning around with a wide smile on his face. Settling her on her feet once more, he cupped her face in his palms. "I take it you remember?"

She nodded and smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you for waiting for me."

He smiled back, leaning down and kissing her. Their lips moved together for a few moments before he pulled back, placing one more kiss on her forehead. They simply stood together for a few moments, enjoying the warmth coming off the other person after a year's worth of forced loneliness.

Eventually Robin pulled back, letting his hand trail down her arm until he grasped her right hand. "Do you think your son regained his memories?"

Regina shook her head, her smile dropping a bit. "No, the spells involved were two different enchantments. But I think I know what potion was used before. It should be identical to the antidote for Zelena's memory wipe. Now that I've felt the magic involved, I should be able to recreate the results relatively quickly."

 He nodded and they started walking towards her home, where she kept most of her magical ingredients. She knew she should probably check in with the others, but she wanted to be able to hug her son as soon as possible. Once Henry was back with her, then she would focus on the man beside her.

She had a chance at happiness and she intended to take a chance and grab it with both hands. 


End file.
